Australian held after Israel navy intercepts protesters

By Jerusalem

AN AUSTRALIAN is among 21 people still detained by Israel after its navy intercepted two ships trying to run its blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli commandos boarded the Irish-flagged Saoirse (Freedom) and the Canadian ship Tahrir (Liberation) in international waters off Gaza on Friday before the navy escorted them to the port of Ashdod.

Interior Ministry spokeswoman Sabine Hadad said that Israel had released six of the 27, including a Palestinian citizen of Israel, two Greek crewmen and three journalists from Egypt, Spain and the United States.

She said the remaining 21 people, including Michael Coleman, 35, from Sydney, were still being held at the Givon immigration detention centre in Ramla, near Tel Aviv, after questioning by authorities.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was trying to arrange a consular visit with Mr Coleman.

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Kate Ausburn from Free Gaza Australia said Mr Coleman made contact on Friday night but they had not heard from him since.

''When will Kevin [Rudd] or Julia [Gillard] pick up the phone to [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu? Or maybe they are content that Israel has 'stopped the boats'?'' she said.

Asked when the 21 activists were expected to be freed, Ms Hadad explained the deportation process required them to see a judge, a process that would take at least 72 hours.

Fourteen of the activists held by Israel are Irish, and the rest are from Canada, Scotland and the US.

Activists organised a major attempt to break the Israeli blockade in May 2010, when six ships led by the Turkish Mavi Marmara tried to reach Gaza.

The attack came after an Israeli air strike in the blockaded territory killed Abed Muhana, an Islamic Jihad militant, and wounded three others as they were allegedly preparing to fire rockets into southern Israel.